history of florence-第15部分

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of　the　people；　to　whom；　with　two　cavaliers；　knights　or　gentlemen；

brought　from　Bologna；　the　reformation　of　the　government　of　the　city

was　confided。　As　soon　as　they　met；　they　classed　the　whole　of　the

people　according　to　their　arts　or　trades；　and　over　each　art　appointed

a　magistrate；　whose　duty　was　to　distribute　justice　to　those　placed

under　him。　They　gave　to　each　company　or　trade　a　banner；　under　which

every　man　was　expected　to　appear　armed；　whenever　the　city　required　it。

These　arts　were　at　first　twelve；　seven　major　and　five　minor。　The　minor

arts　were　afterward　increased　to　fourteen；　so　that　the　whole　made；　as

at　present；　twenty…one。　The　thirty…six　reformers　also　effected　other

changes　for　the　common　good。



Count　Guido　proposed　to　lay　a　tax　upon　the　citizens　for　the　support　of

the　soldiery；　but　during　the　discussion　found　so　much　difficulty；　that

he　did　not　dare　to　use　force　to　obtain　it；　and　thinking　he　had　now

lost　the　government；　called　together　the　leaders　of　the　Ghibellines；

and　they　determined　to　wrest　from　the　people　those　powers　which　they

had　with　so　little　prudence　conceded。　When　they　thought　they　had

sufficient　force；　the　thirty…six　being　assembled；　they　caused　a　tumult

to　be　raised；　which　so　alarmed　them　that　they　retired　to　their　houses；

when　suddenly　the　banners　of　the　Arts　were　unfurled；　and　many　armed

men　drawn　to　them。　These；　learning　that　Count　Guido　and　his　followers

were　at　St。　John's；　moved　toward　the　Holy　Trinity；　and　chose　Giovanni

Soldanieri　for　their　leader。　The　count；　on　the　other　hand；　being

informed　where　the　people　were　assembled；　proceeded　in　that　direction；

nor　did　the　people　shun　the　fight；　for；　meeting　their　enemies　where

now　stands　the　residence　of　the　Tornaquinci；　they　put　the　count　to

flight；　with　the　loss　of　many　of　his　followers。　Terrified　with　this

result；　he　was　afraid　his　enemies　would　attack　him　in　the　night；　and

that　his　own　party；　finding　themselves　beaten；　would　murder　him。　This

impression　took　such　hold　of　his　mind　that；　without　attempting　any

other　remedy；　he　sought　his　safety　rather　in　flight　than　in　combat；

and；　contrary　to　the　advice　of　the　rectors；　went　with　all　his　people

to　Prato。　But；　on　finding　himself　in　a　place　of　safety；　his　fears

fled；　perceiving　his　error　he　wished　to　correct　it；　and　on　the

following　day；　as　soon　as　light　appeared；　he　returned　with　his　people

to　Florence；　to　enter　the　city　by　force　which　he　had　abandoned　in

cowardice。　But　his　design　did　not　succeed；　for　the　people；　who　had　had

difficulty　in　expelling　him；　kept　him　out　with　facility；　so　that　with

grief　and　shame　he　went　to　the　Casentino；　and　the　Ghibellines　withdrew

to　their　villas。



The　people　being　victorious；　by　the　advice　of　those　who　loved　the　good

of　the　republic；　determined　to　reunite　the　city；　and　recall　all　the

citizens　as　well　Guelph　as　Ghibelline；　who　yet　remained　without。　The

Guelphs　returned；　after　having　been　expelled　six　years；　the　recent

offences　of　the　Ghibellines　were　forgiven；　and　themselves　restored　to

their　country。　They　were；　however；　most　cordially　hated；　both　by　the

people　and　the　Guelphs；　for　the　latter　could　not　forget　their　exile；

and　the　former　but　too　well　remembered　their　tyranny　when　they　were　in

power；　the　result　was；　that　the　minds　of　neither　party　became　settled。



While　affairs　were　in　this　state　at　Florence；　a　report　prevailed　that

Corradino；　nephew　of　Manfred；　was　coming　with　a　force　from　Germany；

for　the　conquest　of　Naples；　this　gave　the　Ghibellines　hope　of

recovering　power；　and　the　Guelphs；　considering　how　they　should　provide

for　their　security；　requested　assistance　from　Charles　for　their

defense；　in　case　of　the　passage　of　Corradino。　The　coming　of　the　forces

of　Charles　rendered　the　Guelphs　insolent；　and　so　alarmed　the

Ghibellines　that　they　fled　the　city；　without　being　driven　out；　two

days　before　the　arrival　of　the　troops。



The　Ghibellines　having　departed；　the　Florentines　reorganized　the

government　of　the　city；　and　elected　twelve　men　who；　as　the　supreme

power；　were　to　hold　their　magistracy　two　months；　and　were　not　called

Anziani　or　〃ancients；〃　but　Buono　Uomini　or　〃good　men。〃　They　also

formed　a　council　of　eighty　citizens；　which　they　called　the　Credenza。

Besides　these；　from　each　sixth；　thirty　citizens　were　chosen；　who；　with

the　Credenza　and　the　twelve　Buono　Uomini；　were　called　the　General

Council。　They　also　appointed　another　council　of　one　hundred　and　twenty

citizens；　elected　from　the　people　and　the　nobility；　to　which　all　those

things　were　finally　referred　that　had　undergone　the　consideration　of

the　other　councils；　and　which　distributed　the　offices　of　the　republic。

Having　formed　this　government；　they　strengthened　the　Guelphic　party　by

appointing　its　friends　to　the　principal　offices　of　state；　and　a

variety　of　other　measures；　that　they　might　be　enabled　to　defend

themselves　against　the　Ghibellines；　whose　property　they　divided　into

three　parts；　one　of　which　was　applied　to　the　public　use；　another　to

the　Capitani；　and　the　third　was　assigned　to　the　Guelphs；　in

satisfaction　of　the　injuries　they　had　received。　The　pope；　too；　in

order　to　keep　Tuscany　in　the　Guelphic　interest；　made　Charles　imperial

vicar　over　the　province。　While　the　Florentines；　by　virtue　of　the　new

government；　preserved　their　influence　at　home　by　laws；　and　abroad　with

arms；　the　pope　died；　and　after　a　dispute；　which　continued　two　years；

Gregory　X。　was　elected；　being　then　in　Syria；　where　he　had　long　lived；

but　not　having　witnessed　the　working　of　parties；　he　did　not　estimate

them　in　the　manner　his　predecessors　had　done；　and　passing　through

Florence　on　his　way　to　France；　he　thought　it　would　be　the　office　of　a

good　pastor　to　unite　the　city；　and　so　far　succeeded　that　the

Florentines　consented　to　receive　the　Syndics　of　the　Ghibellines　in

Florence　to　consider　the　terms　of　their　recall。　They　effected　an

agreement；　but　the　Ghibellines　without　were　so　terrified　that　they　did

not　venture　to　return。　The　pope　laid　the　whole　blame　upon　the　city；

and　being　enraged　excommunicated　her；　in　which　state　of　contumacy　she

remained　as　long　as　the　pontiff　lived；　but　was　reblessed　by　his

successor　Innocent　V。



The　pontificate　was　afterward　occupied　by　Nicholas　III。　of　the　Orsini

family。　It　has　to　be　remarked　that　it　was　invariably　the　custom　of　the

popes　to　be　jealous　of　those　whose　power　in　Italy　had　become　great；

even　when　its　growth　had　been　occasioned　by　the　favors　of　the　church；

and　as　they　always　endeavored　to　destroy　it；　frequent　troubles　and

changes　were　the　result。　Their　fear　of　a　powerful　person　caused　them

to　increase　the　influence　of　one　previously　weak；　his　becoming　great

caused　him　also　to　be　feared；　and　his　being　feared　made　them　seek　the

means　of　destroying　him。　This　mode　of　thinking　and　operation

occasioned　the　kingdom　of　Naples　to　be　taken　from　Manfred　and　given　to

Charles；　but　as　soon　as　the　latter　became　powerful　his　ruin　was

resolved　upon。　Actuated　by　these　motives；　Nicholas　III。　contrived

that；　with　the　influence　of　the　emperor；　the　government　of　Tuscany

should　be　taken　from　Charles；　and　Latino　his　legate　was　therefore　sent

into　the　province　in　the　name　of　the　empire。







CHAPTER　III



　　Changes　in　FlorenceThe　Ghibellines　recalledNew　form　of

　　government　in　FlorenceThe　Signory　createdVictory　over　the

　　AretinsThe　Gonfalonier　of　Justice　createdUbaldo　Ruffoli　the

　　first　GonfalonierGiano　della　BellaNew　reform　by　his　advice

　　Giano　della　Bella　becomes　a　voluntary　exileDissensions　between

　　the　people　and　the　nobilityThe　tumults　composedReform　of

　　GovernmentPublic　buildingsThe　prosperous　state　of　the　city。



Florence　was　at　this　time　in　a　very　unhappy　condition；　for　the　great

Guelphic　families　had　become　insolent；　and　set　aside　the　authority　of

the　magistrates；　so　that　murders　and　other　atrocities　were　daily

committed；　and　the　perpetrators　escaped　unpunished；　under　the

protection　of　one　or　other　of　the　nobility。　The　leaders　of　the　people；

in　order　to　restrain　this　insolence；　determined　to　recall　those　who

had　been　expelled；　and　thus　gave　the　legate　an　opportunity　of　uniting

the　city。　The　Ghibellines　returned；　and；　instead　of　twelve　governors；

fourteen　were　appointed；　seven　for　each　party；　who　held　their　office

one　year；　and　were　to　be　chosen　by　the　pope。　The　Florentines　lived

under　this　government　two　years；　till　the　pontificate　of　Martin；　who

restored　to　Charles　all　the　authority　which　had　been　taken　from　him　by

Nicholas；　so　that　parties　were　again　active　in　Tuscany；　for　the

Florentines　took　arms　against　the　emperor's　governor；　and　to　deprive

the　Ghibellines　of　power；　and　restrain　the　nobility；　established　a　new

form　of　government。　This　was　in　the　year　1282；　and　the　companies　of

the　Arts；　since　magistrates　had　been　appointed　and　colors　given　to

them；　had　acquired　so　great　influence；　that　of　their　own　authority

they　ordered　that；　instead　of　fourteen　citizens；　three　should　be

appointed　and　called　Priors；　to　hold　the　government　of　the　republic

two　months；　and　chosen　from　either　the　people　or　the　nobility。　After

the　expiration　of　the　first　magistracy　they　were　augmented　to　six；

that　one　might　be　chosen　from　each　sixth　of　the　city；　and　this　number

was　preserved　till　the　year　1342；　when　the　city　was　divided　into

quarters；　and　the　Priors　became　eight；　although　upon　some　occasions

during　the　interim　they　were　twelve。



This　government；　as　will　be　seen　hereafter；　occasioned　the　ruin　of　the

nobility；　for　the　people　by　various　causes　excluded　them　from　all

participation　in　it；　and　then　trampled　upon　them　without　respect。　The

nobles　at　first；　owing　to　their　divisions　among　themselves；　made　no

opposition；　and　each　being　anxious　to　rob　the　other　of　influence　in

the　state；　they　lost　it　altogether。　To　this　government　a　palace　was

given；　in　which　they　were　to　reside　constantly；　and　all　requisite

officers　were　appointed；　it　having　been　previously　the　custom　of

councils　and　magistrates